This Woman With Depression's Haircut Is Going Viral for An Incredibly Moving Reason

Depression is a scarily powerful: It can turn even the simplest tasks into insurmountable hurdles. Even combing or washing your hair regularly can require more energy than you can muster up on a given day.

And when your personal hygiene suffers, it can make you even more depressed and more uncomfortable — and that can turn into a vicious cycle. But one hairstylist's story about trying to help a woman struggling to break that cycle quickly went viral for its uplifting message. It also proved just how many people can relate to the reality of how debilitating depression can be.

Ulta Beauty Salon stylist Kate Langman shared her client's before and after photos, along with the heartwarming story, in a Facebook post that was later picked up by Love What Matters.

According to the caption, Langman first encountered her soon-to-be client when she spotted the woman browsing Ulta's products, looking for anything that could fix her matted hair, and asked if she needed help. The stranger explained that she'd been suffering from a deep bout of depression, preventing her from getting out of bed for months – meaning she hadn't washed or combed her hair in that time. Pulling it back into a bun for so long had caused it to become matted beyond repair – or so she thought. Langman made an appointment for the woman, but she was a no-show, disappointing the stylist who wanted to help her. Weeks later, the woman turned up at the salon unexpectedly, but Langman accommodated her.

"I didn't care how late I stayed, I wanted to make sure she got taken care of," the stylist wrote. Noting that, typically, when hair is this far gone, it's usually just recommended to cut it off, Langman instead went out of her way to honor her client's request to keep it long if possible. According to her caption, she spent a total of 8 and a half hours with the woman, half of which were just spent combing out all of the many knots.

For Langman, the lengthy appointment was well worth it. By the look of the after photos, the hair makeover was a huge success, and the client was pleased, too. "By the end of this service, I could see the sparkle in her eyes and I could see her cheeks get rosy pink from the excitement of not only being able to run her fingers through her hair again, but she felt herself again," the stylist wrote. "I changed someone's life today, and I'll never ever forget it."

The caption wrapped up with Langman expressing her gratitude for being able to help the mystery woman with what will hopefully be a first step towards recovery, reminding the stranger of her worth and wishing her "nothing but happiness."

While a haircut and gorgeous ombré may not seem life-changing, feeling beautiful can go a long way. Here's hoping the stranger saw Langman's message (and the support of so many strangers) and took those words to heart.

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